Animal trap



April 22, 1930. w. e. BAKER ,9 7

ANIMAL TRAP 'F'iled Feb, 25,. 1928 INVENTOR M5.B/KER 3 ATTORNEYPatentecl Apr. 22, 1930 PATENT OFFICE WALTER G. BAKER, OF SALEM, OREGONANIMAL TRAP Application filed February 25, 1928. Serial No. 256,949.

This inventionrelates to animal traps and more particularly to traps forcatching rats and other rodents.

Aprimary object of the invention is to providea trap of this characterwhich operates automatically to kill and remove the prey, and to re-setitself ready for the next Victim, s o that it will operate continuouslyas'long as any animal enters it and the operating hiechanism remainsactive.

Anotherobject is to providea trap of this character, which on theentering of the animalis. operated by the Weight of the animal, toquickly -actuate a striking element to impart a sharp, f01ceful, killingblow on the entering animals head, and to bring into m0- tinejectingmeansfor throwing the animal so killed from the trap.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a widerange of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the claimed invent ion there being shown in thedrawings for illustratiye purposes a preferred and practical form, inwhich:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a trap. cnstructed inaccordance with this invention, taken from the front,

Fig.2 is a transverse vertical section taken 'on the line 22 of Fig. 3,

'Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3 -3' ofFig. 4:,

F ig. l is a horiz'ontal section taken on the line 4 -4 of Fig, 3,

' Fig. 5 is a side elevation0f the catch mem ber detached, and v A Fig.6 is a detail perspective view of the ejector,

In the embodiment illustrated the trap constituting this inventioncomprises a casing 1,

hereshown rectangular in form and closed throughout except fortheentrance opening 2, formed inthe front end 3 at one side thereof.This casing1 is divided longitudinally byan upright partition 4 into alarger .compartment5,' and a smaller entrance chamber 6 infwhich latter'is mounted a tilting plat form 10 located adjacent to the entrance ofthe chamber 6 and from the rear end of which 50 extends alongitudinalba'r 11 arranged' in path of the innerm0st finger 31 of thestrikedgewise relation and fulcrumed near its rear end as shown at 12. Y

Rising from the rear end of the bar 11 and pivotally connected therewithis a rod or link 13 to the upper end of which is pivotally c0nnected alever 14 which is arranged longitudinally in the chamber 6 in a planedirectly above the bar or shank 11 of the platform. This lever 14 isfulcrumed at 15 on a bracket 16 projectinglaterally from the partition4. To the front end of the lever 14 is connected a rod 17 extendingthrough a vertically arranged slot 18 in the partition l. This catch 17,as shown in detail in Fig. 5, has a stud 18 at one end which extendsthrough an opening in the lever 14 and connected therewith so that whenthe lever is operated the catch will be operated thereby. This catch 17extends .into the compartment 5 and is there fulcrumed at 20 on abracket 25 mounted on the partition 4:, as is shown clearly in F ig. 4-.The other end of this catch 17 beyond the fulcrum 20 is connected by acoiled spring 21 to a hook 22 mounted in the bottom of the chamber 5 andwhich spring exerts its tension to swing the catch 17 so that the endthereof connected with the lever 14 will tend to raise this lever endand through its connection with the platform 10 hold said platform inhorizontal position, ready fo1- the entrance of an animal.

A trigger in,the form of a bell crank lever 23 is fulcrumed on a bracket24 mounted on the partition 4. This trigger 23 is connected by a coiledspring 26 with one arm 25 of the bracket 25, as shown clearly in Fig. 4,and said spring 26 exerts its tension to normally swing the trigger onits fulcrum out of the path of the fingers 31 or rather out of the ingelement 30. The long arm 23 of this bell crank trigger extends over thecatch rod 17 and is designed to be engaged by the notch 19 thereof tohold said trigger in the position shown in Fig. 4 against the tension ofthe spring 26 and with its short arm 23* engaged with one of'the fingers31 of the striking -member and thereby hold said striking member inelevated position.

The striking member 30 is carried by a r0- tatable shaft 27 whichextends transversely of the trap being journaled in the partition 4 andin one side wall of the compartment 5. Fixed to the shaft 27 is a smallcogwheel 28 which meshes with a large gear wheel 29 rotatably mounted ona shaft 32 supported by the partition 4 and the outside wall of thecompartment 5 as is'shown clearly in Figs.'

2 and 4.

Fixed to the shaft 32 adjacent the gear wheel 29 is a ratchet wheel 33adapted to be engaged by a spring pressedpawl 34 carried by the gear 29,as is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 4 and which operates to prevent thereverse turning of the gear 29.

A- spiral spring 35 similar to the mainspring of a clock, is fixed atone end to the gear wheel 29, as shown at 36 in Fig. 3 and tothe ratchetwheel hub as shown at 37 in Fig.

A key 38 for winding up the spring 35 is provided, and it is, of course,understood that when thisspring is wound up, that it will exert itstensiori to turn the gear wheel 29 in a direction to rotate the cog gear28 in the direction of the arrow a and thereby turn with it the strikingelement 30 which is s'e- %ureid to the shaft onwhichsaid cog 28 is Abait holder 40 is shwn mounted in the compartment 5 and is made in theform of a perfomted cylinder closed at its inner and outer ends andhaving a handle 41 on its front or outer end to facilitate insertionand" removal; Thebait to be used is of a strong smelling variety andwhen inserted in the cylin der 40 and placed within the compart ment 5the odor therefrom will pass out through the apertures in said holderand attract the rats or other animals for which thetrap is set.

3hamber 6 at the front thereof directly over the platform 10 in rear ofthe point where the striker operates, so that when the animal enteringis struck and killed it will be thrown onto this ejector and thrownforward therebyout of the entrance 2. l

This eject0r 42 is constructed as shown in detailin Fig. 6 and is madein the form of a rake the shaft 43 o f which extends through thepartition 4 and is jourrialed in said par tition and in a bracket44mounted on the partition 4 within the Chamber 5. The ejector 42 ispiv0tally mounted and has an arm 42 located in the path of the Striker30 so that after hitting the animal the striker continues. to rotate andehgages the ejector An ejeotor 42 1s mou'nted in the entrance.

this rod is shifted in the slot 46 and dropped downward ifit the path ofthe bell Crank which holds the device securely against 0peration.

Without further description it is thought that the featuresandadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to thoseskilled-in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes inthe form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resortedto, without departing fromthe spirit of the irivention or its scope asclaimed.

Iclai m: 7 r 1. A trap of the class described comprising a Casing havingan entrance, a movable platform located within said casirig, a strikingelement connected to be actuated by the movement of sa1d platform,ejectin means located 1n rear of and operated by thestriking ele ment toreceive and throw out an animal which has been s'truck by the strikingelement, and means operable by the striking element for automaticallysetting the trap after the ejecting means has been operated.

2. trap of the class described cornprising a casing having an entrance,a tilting platform located within saidcasing adjacent said entrarice, aStriking element located above'said platform and connected to beactuated by the movement of the platform in cident to the entrahce, ofan animal, and means located adjacent said platform and in rear of saidstriking element to receive the body of the animal struck hythe strikingelement and operable by the stiikir1g element to throw out the prey. y

3. A trap of the Class described comprising an enclosure.having anentrance, a movable platform located adj acent'said entrance, a strikingelement located over said; platform and connected to be operated by themovement of the platform, an ejector positioned to receive the animalstruck by the strik'ing element and having means located in the path ofsaid striking element whereby' said ejector is operated by the strikingelement to throw out the c'arcass; V

4. A trap of the class described comprising an enclosure having anentrance, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends and having a platformlocated -adjacent said entrance, a link pivotd to the other end of saidlever extending upwardly, another leverfulcrumed above the fir stmentioned lover and connected at oneend with said link, a springcontrolled catch member connected with said sec- 0nd mentioned lever tohold the platform in rased position, a trigger connected to be operatedby said catch member, a striking element arranged over said platform,said striking element and trigger having interengaging elements Wherebythe striker is held in set position, and released from the trgger whenthe platform is depressed.

Si ed at Salem in the county of Marion and 'tate of Oregon this 18th dayof Febry.,

WALTER G. BAKER.

